Ghosts
by pixienerd
Summary: The X-men experience the dark, twisted world of mutant trafficking first hand, whether they want to or not. Contains major Kurtty and Romy, probably others. On Temporary Hiatus


**Disclaimer: **X-men, X-men: Evolution and all things related thereof are trademarks of Marvel and its associates. I only claim ownership over the things that have come out of my strange imagination. ^-^

* * *

"Have you _lost your mind_?" Rogue's jaw dropped in utter bewilderment at the man sitting so calmly behind the mahogany desk. For the first time in her life, she was stricken with the overwhelming urge to swat the man upside the head and call him stupid, never mind the fact that he actually possessed one of the most brilliant minds in the world.

Professor Charles Xavier simply steepled his fingers in response, the look on his face one of concern mixed with pity and a dash of amusement, if that were at all possible. The expression did nothing to negate her suspicion that the professor had finally succumbed to old age and senility.

Rogue turned to the only other person in the room and prayed that he was still sane and uncorrupted enough to knock some sense into the professor before she did so herself. "Logan, ya can't tell me you're goin' along with this!"

The feral man was leaning against one of the many bookcases that lined Xavier's office. His expression was blank as always but Rogue noticed a flicker of annoyance pass behind his eyes. It was obvious he wasn't very happy with this situation either. Rogue groaned, realizing that her hopes that this was somehow a joke, or maybe a misunderstanding on her part, were now officially sunk.

"I can't believe this," she grumbled, turning back to face Xavier before scoffing and slumping back into her seat, knowing all the while exactly how childish and immature she was being.

"I understand your apprehension, Rogue," Xavier said thoughtfully. "And I assure you that you have my sincerest apologies for not involving you in this decision but you have to understand the position I'm in. I simply cannot turn down his need for aid anymore than I could have turned down yours. If it's any condolence, he will be placed under the strictest of rules during his stay."

"Can one of those rules be to leave me the hell alone?" Rogue vexed, wincing slightly at her own crude choice of words. She was relieved to see that the professor let the curse slip by without consequence. Probably because less than two minutes ago he'd all but banished her to the inner most depths of Hell and knew it.

Xavier gave her a pity smile. One of those smiles you would give to the woman in the supermarket whose three young children are running around like savages, shrieking at the top of their lungs because they didn't get the cereal they wanted. It was the kind of smile that said, "I feel bad for you but I can't, or won't, help you."

Senile or not, Xavier had control over whom he allowed to attend his school. Rogue could pout and complain all she wanted but in the end she knew it would be no use. Remy LeBeau, the Cajun thief extraordinaire and severe pain in the ass, was going to be living with her and there was nothing she could do about it.

For an entire month – _an entire month!_ – she had put up with his psyche plaguing her head and annoying the crap out of her. Never before had she had such an unruly and uncontrollable person in her head. Usually she could control her psyches pretty easily during the day by pushing them into the back of her mind and otherwise blocking them out. Usually, she would only have problems during sleep or when she was stressed. But no, those rules couldn't apply to the swamp rat, just like rules didn't seem to apply to him in real life either.

At first he had kept quiet, lost in the background noise of all the other people she had absorbed in her life that had yet to be excised. It wasn't until the professor – the one person who could get rid of him – left for a three week conference that he started acting up. The first time it happened was when she was in the shower. Actually, the first _three_ times it happened she had been in the shower. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she was being flirted with and propositioned by her own french-accented thoughts. This, of course, frustrated her to no end which loosened her control even more. Before she knew it, every time she got dressed, took a shower, went swimming, or did anything else that involved being scantily clad, he was her constant companion. And don't even get her started on the changing room before and after Danger Room sessions. She could never look at Jean the same way again without blushing profusely.

Rogue sighed and shook her head. She knew it wasn't fair to maintain this fervid hatred toward the thief based solely on his psyche. If she judged everyone based on that, she would be even more of a loner than she already was. Hell, there were some people, like Logan, that she wouldn't even go near had she judged them based on what she absorbed of them. It was just that the Cajun was always pushing the right buttons (or the wrong buttons, depending on how you looked at it.) Besides the extreme violation of personal space, there was also his constant encouragement to touch, touch, touch. Apparently he was a very tactile creature and the fact that Rogue could not - or would not - risk being within so much as three feet of another person without being covered from head to toe in multiple layers drove him crazy. He was a constant little voice in the back of her mind telling her to inch a little closer to this person or be a little more daring with that person, even when the people in question were noticeably afraid of her doing so.

Despite her resistance to the voice, she still found herself influenced by it. During that one month, she had never been more reckless with her power or less… prudish (for lack of a better word) since before her mutation had kicked in. It made her severely uncomfortable just thinking about all the ways things could have gone wrong. What if she had bumped into someone on the day Remy's psyche convinced her to wear short sleeves? What if something would have happened the day he persuaded her to go to the mall on the busiest day of the week? What if she accidentally touched someone skin-to-skin at the mansion? How could she live with herself if she hurt her brother or her best friend or any of her "family" when she knew it could have been prevented? She didn't want to put her guard down like that again.

But then again, maybe she was overreacting. The Cajun in the flesh would be a hell of a lot easier to avoid than a voice in her head. Plus, he didn't seem so bad in real life. Sure, he had pissed her off beyond imagination when he knocked her unconscious in an alleyway, tied her up against her will, and took her clear across the country without permission while simultaneously lying about his intentions, worrying her friends, and getting her in trouble with a bunch of creeps from the Assassin's guild, but it wasn't really like he had pushed her into anything she didn't want to do. It was her own choices that kept her there. And in the end, she had enjoyed the overall visit. Really, it was kind of exciting and dare she say… _fun. _

No, Remy wasn't all that bad, not if she really thought about it. In fact, if he wasn't a lying, thieving, smooth-talking ladies man and gambling addict, he could actually be quite the gentleman. Well okay, that was pushing it a little. "Gentleman" was the word you'd use to describe someone like Kurt, not someone like Gambit.

Hmm… what words would she use to properly describe Remy LeBeau...?

Infuriating? Okay, that was one. Skilled, yes. Charming? Maybe. Handsome? Well… she could give him that. Though she would never, _ever_ say that aloud, _especially_ not in his presence. Nor would she think it in front of a certain redheaded telepath who always poked her perfect little nose in things she shouldn't.

Maybe, if she focused on his better attributes and reminded herself that it wasn't exactly his fault that his psyche had driven her to near madness, she might be able to deal with him living here. Maybe.

Rogue sighed again and looked at the professor, defeated. "Can ya at least tell me what sort of trouble the swamp rat got himself into? I think I at least deserve to know that much."

The professor gave her an utterly blank look that gave away absolutely nothing. "I'm afraid that is something of a personal matter that he would need to tell you himself."

Rogue raised an eyebrow at the evasion, but didn't press the matter. "Alright fine, so how does he intend to get here?"

"I'm sending Logan, Ororo, and Hank to pick him up in the X-jet."

"They're goin' to pick him up all the way in New Orleans?"

"Actually, no. They're picking him up tomorrow night in a town called Pax Valley in Tennessee, at his request."

_Well that's strange, why is he in Tennessee?_ Rogue thought, perplexed. She ran through several of the possibilities. A job gone bad? Trouble between the Thieves and Assassins guilds? On the run from psycho mutant haters who accidentally got a glimpse of his eyes? It had to be something serious if he had abandoned his beloved city and was seeking refuge from Xavier. She wanted information and was just about to ask for it when Xavier raised a hand, cutting her off before she even got a word out.

"I'm sorry Rogue, but we must respect Remy's privacy," Xavier said. "I'm sure that he will unveil all in time, if allowed the opportunity. I just ask that you do not bombard him with questions upon his arrival. He will need time to adjust to this kind of environment, as it will be quite different from his life in the Thieves guild or as an Acolyte."

Rogue agreed reluctantly but now she was extremely curious, if not a little worried. "But he's not in danger… is he?"

Xavier considered the question for a moment before replying, "Most likely not. But Mr. LeBeau has many enemies, some more latent than others."

The answer was cryptic and vague and Rogue did not like it at all but she understood the need for privacy. God, did she understand the need for privacy.

"Well I believe that covers everything that time will allow, Rogue," the professor said as he eyed the clock. "Any more questions or concerns will have to wait until after School. I wouldn't want you to miss your ride."

Rogue startled. Was it that late already? "Um, right, I better go." She stood. "Thanks for lettin' me know about Remy."

"Of course."

"Bye, professor. See ya later, Logan."

Xavier smiled warmly and Logan merely grunted in response. Rogue stifled the urge to roll her eyes at the feral man's ever-talkative nature as she headed out the door.

While walking toward the garage to meet the others, Rogue pondered how this news fit into her horrible morning and how her horrible morning would undoubtedly turn into a horrible day. First she was woken up from the phone ringing at some godforsaken time because Lance wanted to talk to Kitty and beg for forgiveness… again. He was apparently too drunk to realize what time it was. Then, when she finally got to sleep again, she had a nightmare about the holocaust (_Thanks again, Magneto)._ That kept her awake for several hours. Then, when she _finally_ got back to sleep from _that_, she awoke less than an hour later to the lovely sound of Kitty shrieking at Kurt, the latter of which thought it would be funny to pop out of the shadows and scare the former to death while she was wandering around the room half asleep. (Rogue was _really_ reconsidering the whole roommate thing at that point.)

After declaring sleep a lost cause, Rogue finally got up to get ready for school only to discover that one of her favorite pairs of gloves had a hole in it, the shirt she intended to wear was missing, the showers weren't working because Bobby froze everyone's pipes again (_stupid prank war…_), and someone had eaten the last of her Frosted Flakes. Then, to top it all off, the professor called her into his office to tell her that the swamp rat would be arriving here to stay for an undetermined amount of time because of reasons that were unclear and unsatisfactory. In short, she was not having a very good day.

_TGIF, my ass._

* * *

"Kitty! Get back here!"

Kitty Pryde ran full tilt down the hallways of the Xavier Institute, laughing to the point of near hysterics. Tears fled from the corners of her eyes and her heart shaped face was barely big enough to contain her smile. She was just thinking about phasing through the floor when something very fuzzy and very blue came from above and tackled her to the ground. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she wheezed between bursts of giggles while the blue mutant pinned her down and began his tickling attack.

"You're going to be sorry, Katzchen!" Kurt laughed before reaching for the nape of her neck, her most sensitive ticklish spot. Kitty squealed and phased through the floor, dragging the elf down with her. They landed in a laughing heap on the floor of the hallway below.

Kitty could hardly catch her breath through her full out laughter. Kurt wasn't fairing much better as he untangled himself from his friend and rolled over on his back, grinning madly. "And don't let me catch you drinking from the milk carton again!" he declared in mock victory.

They were still lying there minutes later, sprawled across the floor and completely unable to move, when a single pair of footsteps approached. The owner of the footsteps peered down at them, casting a shadow across their faces. "Do I even want to know?"

Kitty blinked up at the figure towering over her. The awkward angle allowed for a direct view up her roommate's nose and for some reason this struck Kitty as infinitely funny. Several bouts of wordless giggling later, she managed to squeak out a greeting. "Like, hi, Rogue!"

Rogue quirked an eyebrow in a way that added to her already sour expression. When she spoke, her tone contained a little more venom and impatience than usual. "Right. Well when y'all are done with your little fit, we've got school and I'd rather not be late." She then proceeded to step over them without so much as a second look and stomped off toward the general direction of the garage.

When she was gone, Kurt rolled himself onto his side, elbow propped, to face Kitty. "What was _that_ about?"

Kitty sighed and dragged herself into a sitting position. Her once perfect ponytail was now a mess from the tickle fight and her blue eyes were filled with shame and worry. "I think she's still mad about last night."

"Last night?"

Kitty took a moment to undo her hair and let it fall in a cascade of chestnut before slumping back against the wall, deliberately avoiding eye contact. "Lance called."

"_Again_?" Kurt's reaction was typical of someone whose best friend was constantly being pestered by an ex. He looked annoyed, frustrated, sympathetic, and ready to go Lance-hunting, even going as far as letting out a distinctly low growl.

"Leave him alone, Kurt. He didn't realize what he was doing."

"He was drunk, wasn't he?" It was stated more as a fact than a question. "What did you say to him?"

Kitty shook her hair out so it hid her face and the guilt she knew would be written all over it. "Nothing he'll remember today."

Kurt sighed, "Kitty…"

"I don't know, Kurt, okay?" she snapped. "I told him the same thing I told him yesterday and the day before that! The same thing I've been telling him for the last two weeks!" She instantly regretted the tone of her words as soon as she said them. She knew Kurt was just looking out for her and trying to be supportive. It wasn't his fault she was so stressed lately. It was this whole situation she was dealing with. What her housemates now referred to as the "Lancitty Drama."

_God, did they have to give it a title? _All she wanted was for Lance to leave her alone and for everyone to keep their opinions about the relationship to themselves. Or better yet, keep their noses out of her personal business altogether.

Kitty buried her fingers into her hair and kept her eyes trained on her knees. She didn't want to take her frustrations out on her best friend, but ugh! It was just so irritating! She _knew_ Lance was a jerk. She _knew_ this was for the best. _She_ was the one to break up with _him_, after all. She wouldn't have ended the relationship if she didn't know all this. So why did everyone have to keep repeating it?

She just hated that she was constantly reminded about how stupid and naïve she was for dating the guy in the first place. Being reminded of her past mistakes was horrible enough but what made it infinitely worse was that she was still harboring feelings for Lance, despite trying so hard to let him go. If she was stupid before for liking the guy, what did that make her now?

_Ugh! I need to get over him! _It wasn't helping that he called almost every night and stalked her at school, begging for forgiveness. He sounded so sincere and sorry now and it broke her heart to turn him down again and again. She could feel her resistance wearing down little by little everyday and that made her feel so… _weak_. She would be miserable if she got back together with him, not to mention the fact that she'd probably lose what little respect she had from her housemates and friends, yet she still found herself charmed by that stupid smirk of his. When he cornered her in the hallways and called her that silly pet name and gave her that _look_… it made her wonder, what if? What if he was different this time? What if breaking up with him triggered some kind of change in him? What if the good parts of their relationship were still salvageable?

She missed him. She missed him so much. She missed having his arms around her. She missed the way he whispered "I love you" when they were out of earshot of his friends, even if he never did say it out loud so they could hear him. She missed him and she felt like such a _fool _for doing so.

"Katzchen?" Kitty was startled out of her melancholy thoughts when a warm, fuzzy hand gently cupped her chin and tilted it upward. She was forced to meet concerned golden eyes with her own moist blue ones. She realized suddenly that she had been crying and hated herself for it. It had been two weeks since she broke up with Lance. Why did he still have this effect on her? God, how many tears could a girl cry over one guy?

Kurt used one of his three fingers to gently wipe away the tears tracked down her cheek. "You've finally got your smile back, Katzchen. Don't let him take that away from you, ja?"

Kitty nodded and attempted a smile. It was meek and timid at best. He was right. This morning she had almost been able to forget about Lance and all her other problems. She was having fun for the first time in what seemed like forever. She needed that.

Kurt knelt from his crouch and held out her discarded hair band with a smile.

Kitty giggled listlessly as she accepted it. "I look like a mess, don't I?"

"Nein. You look beautiful."

Kitty searched his eyes looking for some sign that he was fibbing but could only find genuine praise. This made her break into a real smile. "Well _danke_, fuzzy."

Kurt matched her smile with one of his own trademark dazzling grins. He leapt to a stand with the fluidity of a practiced acrobat and held out his hand. "Ready for school, mein Dame?"

Kitty quickly put her hair back up into its signature pony tail and accepted his hand. "As ready as I'll ever be."

And with an audible _bamf_, they were gone.

* * *

**Author's Note**:

And that concludes Chapter One of my first story ever, fanfiction or otherwise. My fragile writing ego asks that you review fairly and honestly but also kindly, as it is extremely nerve wracking to publish your first work for the world to see. ^-^

I hope Rogue wasn't too out of character in this chapter as she was a little cranky and very sarcastic. To be fair, though, she _was_ having a very bad day. On a related note, I have no idea how the whole psyche thing works so I took some liberties with that. I just thought it would be hilarious to have Remy badgering Rogue in her head and driving her insane. I haven't actually read the comics yet so this psyche thing might not even be possible, but heck, this is fanfiction, crazier things have happened.

Things you might find helpful to know:

**...** As you may have already guessed, this story will be Kurtty and Romy centered. Other pairings like Jott, Loro, and whoever else I decide to throw in there will be secondary.

**...** I've fiddled with the timeline and ages of the students for this thing. Scott and Jean are still attending high school as Seniors; Rogue, Kurt, and Kitty are Juniors. All of the New Recruits are still attending the Institute, and all of them are attending Bayville High except for Jamie. Evan is with the Morlocks, the world knows about Mutants but doesn't accept of them yet, Apocalypse never happened or has yet to happen, etc. etc.

**...** Translations will more than likely be completely off, but I'll try my best. n_n My humblest apologies to those who speak the languages I will probably be butchering, lol.

**...** This story is rated T for now, but there is a very good chance it will move up to an M later on, depending on how brave I am. I will definitely give plenty of notice if I do move it up

**...** I write really, _really_ slowly so I apologize ahead of time for slow updating.

And um… I guess that concludes this epic-length Author's Note. Again – thanks for reading and I hope you take the time to review! ^-^


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